Chapter 3
The Island of Riddles
The pirates and bandits who were out in the sea saw the destruction from a far, glimpsed at it and did not return to Cassandra.
Alvin seemed to be calmed down, seeing the vast tide on the blue sea. Sense of freedom filled his heart. The land was nowhere to be seen, the grey clouds were moving slowly from the sky, the ship jumped up and down against the waves. The wind blew, messing up his hair, flapping his coat. The ray of sun came down occasionally. From time to time, the engine slowed down and the ship jerked as the propeller blade stopped abruptly. Lifeboats were out on the deck, the sun is baking the metal surface.
Deep inside, Alvin was concerned about his family, Diana Cline, Tasha and Jake. Diana Cline was initially a maid when he was in Cassandra; they adopted two children after the peculiar encounter in the past. When situation became like this, they filed the marriage to the court as they didn’t want more suspicious glares from Veron’s officers.
“Gilbert should be waiting on the spot he told him to go. Hopefully those drunkards army do not get wiped out in the wilderness,” he murmured to himself, missing his family. The soldiers were taking a nap and chatting amongst themselves.
Alvin was the former Captain of the paratroopers division under Nina Polchinski who was the head of the military group called Machina. He was living away from Nina for some times. But later he came back to rescue Nina from Cassandra to take her to the shelter which was built by the mysterious architect called Ricky Guido in the Island of Riddles. He heard that it was the place where prisoners and criminals escape and hide.
Captain Stein, who was the chief advisor to Nina, came near. He had a big bandage over his cheek.
“How do you feel?” said Stein to Alvin. The chilly air blew toward them.
“We have pursuers,” said Alvin, gloomily. “We are rebellious, Stein, our end is dark.”
“Huh... yes, indeed bitter,” muttered Stein. “I think Nina finally recovered from the shock. She was shaking for few days.”
“What, did she really think that we are going to win the war?” said Alvin with a dry laughter.
“We won the war,” said Stein, brightly. “And we escaped from that stinking place.”
“…”
“Well, I guess we don’t have to deal with Veron’s officers,” said Stein, closing his eyes and enjoying the sea breeze.
“Did Simard make those things, Stein?” asked Alvin.
“He did not,” said Stein. “Her name is Alice Cvitanic, one of the interns in the research department in military. Although final touch was contributed by Simard, most of the works are from her.”
“Huh… that is why they call it Alice’s Experiment,” muttered Alvin.
“Correct,” said Stein.
Alvin saw Simard few times before when he was in the paratrooper division in Cassandra. He looked cold and distanced when he visited the office. Alvin saw Nina there, that skinny little Nina. Alvin ran away after Simard’s army lost, and later when he heard Simard’s place got raided by Veron, he went back to the hideout in the town called Oldvale. When he entered the house, the door was opened. He raised his gun, hoping it is just a homeless. But when he entered, he heard someone crying. He searched the house, trying to find the source of noise. When he entered the room, he saw that the wall inside the room was broken, red axe lied on the floor along with the fragments of woods and the scattered bills. There he found Nina cowered on the dark corner, crying.
“Perhaps I’ve been wrong about you after all, I didn’t thought you would come back,” said Stein.
“What was your impression?” asked Alvin.
“Selfish, ignorant,” said Stein, grinning. “And stupid.”
Alvin laughed, leaning against the fences.
“You are right about that, Captain,” said Alvin, looking up in the sky.
“Alvin, you don’t know it yet, but surely the LORD lives, our future is bright,” said Stein.
“…”
“Perhaps I missed you after all,” said Stein, laughing. “Glad to have you here. I’m going to get some tea. Madam Wanda made some sea salted popcorn, check it out if you are interested,” said Stein, tapping Alvin’s shoulder.
“Aye aye,” said Alvin.
When Stein arrived at the dining area, there were popping sound inside the huge metal pot. The soldiers were walking around with a brown paper bag munching popcorns.
“Hello, Captain!” shouted Wanda, vigorously. “Would you like some popcorn? I heard there was a herd of dolphin. Oh I love dolphins, aren’t they so sweet?”
“Yeah,” said Stein, dully. “I would like some tea please.”
“And oh Captain, I wanted to talk to you this! I heard over the dining table, well, not that I wanted to overhear their conversation. He was talking loud enough for those people outside could hear! Michel, yes, Michel Duffie! That‘s his name, he is planning a horrible crime!” shouted Madam.
“A horrible crime?” said Stein, frowning.
“Yes! Yes! He said he is going to kill dolphins and eat them!” screeched Wanda, her face gushing with blood. “Oh, that cute animal! How can he be so cruel? And he said to me that he want me to skin it! And I ain’t gonna do that!”
“I’ll give him a warning,” murmured Stein. “Tea please?”
“Oh, yes of course, my good Captain. Yes, yes please do! What would you like today?” said Wanda, cheerfully.
“Just a tea,” muttered Stein.
While waiting for the tea, someone poked his back with the elbow. It was Nina. She winked at him.
“Hello admiral,” said Stein, kindly, slightly grabbing the tip of his cap.
“Hi,” smiled Nina, sipping hot cocoa as usual. “How are you?”
“Feeling pretty good myself,” said Stein. Wanda put the cup and slid it over to him.
“I distributed every soldier to have a gurka sword,” said Nina, pointing at the window across the table; there were Michel and Paul doing goofy sword fight. “And I also made Alvin the Captain over paratroopers… I hope James doesn’t mind. He seemed really disappointed.”
“We should consider his contribution to the battle,” said Stein.
“Well, yes, but I should’ve listen to you, he is not fit to run a paratroopers. All he does is playing pilot while they jump off to the battlefield. Sarah played a role better, I promoted her.”
“To…?” asked Stein.
“Lieutenant; and James is now degraded to commander,” said Nina. Stein nodded. Wanda hand him a tea and popcorn in a brown bag.
On the deck, Michel swung the sword around, playing dumbly with Paul.
“Does any of you guys heard about the Island of Riddles?” said Sarah, watching Paul and Michel. She made a fishnet bed connecting pipes and the fences. She was tying up the rope from to dangle around the ship.
“Not at all ma’am,” said Michel.
“Nah,” said Paul.
“Madam Wanda is cooking bunch of chicken now,” said Sarah, her glass glittering with ice.
“Huh, I thought we are low on that,” said Michel.
“Yes, but we can’t eat it if it is all green and moldy. The refrigerator somehow stopped working,” said Sarah, struggling to loosen the tangled net.
“That is unfortunate,” said Michel. “Prepare for the hunger march, brother,” the blades run into each other; it wrung with the light metal sound.
“Yeah, yeah,” muttered Paul. “But if we put the chicken to the other ship, then we might not…”
“We thought of that, after Madam Wanda put all the chicken inside the pot,” said Sarah.
“If we are lucky, we might even eat those monsters,” said Michel.
“I hate those things,” said Sarah. “I mean the smell, the looks! I’m seeing on my dream now.”
“Well, that’s that, I’m going fishing,” said Michel, glimpsed at Sarah with an oily look, “Oh lieutenant, what would you like to have for a dinner?”
“Shut up,”
said Sarah.
“Why bother fishing?” Paul frowned. “We are having chicken for a dinner.”
“Because I would love to try this!” Michel grinned, pointing at the nice harpoon he got from the officer from the ship. Michel went to the rear of the ship and saw a herd of dolphins jumping ups and down.
Few minutes later, Michel caught dolphin. The shrieks of terror was heard when Wanda saw the dead dolphin, and refused to give out the food to Michel. In a dinner time he just roasted dolphin on the deck, alone.
“This is nice,” said Nina, looking at the sunset. It seemed like her heavy chains were cut; she felt refreshed but weak. She leaned her body against the fences. Her pajama formed a wave as the wind blew. Alvin, who was walking along the deck, approached Nina.
Nina put the machine suits, armories and logistics on all three battleships while the submarine followed. James and Nottingham was on the other ships.
“How are we on the food, Nina?” said Alvin, munching chicken, handing some to Nina.
“About two weeks supply,” muttered Nina, biting the chicken wing and picking the bone out.
“Fuel for machine suit?” asked Alvin.
“Five days, at most,” answered Nina. She felt strange, few hours before she was in the midst of the battle field, pumped up with adrenaline. Now all of that is gone. She is not feeling joy however, not accustomed to this peaceful air.
“So, you came back, Alvin Caravel. How do you feel? I feel pretty good you know,” smiled Nina, sheepishly.
“Good to be finally start breathing,” snorted Alvin. “The war will start soon though. All the refugees will head toward the island.”
“Yeah…” murmured Nina. “Don’t want to think about that right now. But I feel really good that you came back for me.”
“I’m worried about whether my family is alright,” said Alvin.
“Oh,” said Nina, her smile fading a little. “I thought the marriage was a disguise,” said Nina, her hair blew against the wind. She felt a chill of the night air.
“It was,” said Alvin. “Saved me from Veron’s eyes. But well, things happen you know.”
Nina coughed a little, looking away from Alvin. She felt a searing pain, and the bitterness followed.
“I’m glad, well, I… I’m getting cold,” said Nina.
“Get some rest, you been through a lot,” said Alvin.
“I will,” said Nina, rather coldly. She walked into the ship and went downstairs to the dining room, and stayed there for a while. Alvin and Nina was more than ten years difference in age. But she fell in love with him in the past, when Alvin took care of her in hard times. She kept it inside her as he was his subordinate and there were too many things to deal with. When Nina was sitting at the table, Sarah was just walked out from the restroom. She was grabbing her belly with a greenish face.
“Hey Nina,” said Sarah with a dying voice, waving her hand. Arching her back, she leaned on the wall, taking a deep breath as if she is having a labor.
“Was something wrong with that dolphin?” frowned Nina. Sarah shook her head.
“I didn’t eat that, it stopped being cute after it got roasted… I think Wanda poisoned me,” said Sarah, turned around and walked back to the ladies’ room.
About half an hour later, Sarah came out again. She saw Michel standing dumbly and Nina crying. Sarah leered at Michel angrily.
“Michel, what did you do?” demanded Sarah.
“I… I… don’t know,” said Michel. “I thought she was mad about dolphin, well, she… Uhh, started crying and…”
“Oh, it… it is nothing,” said Nina, wiping her tear.
“Get out, you,” hissed Sarah to Michel who was dumbfounded.
“Of… of course,” said Michel. He quickly glimpsed at Nina and hurriedly went out.
“What is wrong?” said Sarah, watching Michel going out. Still nauseated, she sat down on the chair. Nina sniffed. “Come on, what’s bothering you?”
“I… I didn’t know…” said Nina, crying. “They are serious.”
“Ok…” said Sarah, tapping her shoulder awkwardly; she frowned at her stomach pain.
“Does, does guy always like that? You know just forgetting all the time in the past and moves on just like that?” said Nina.
“Uhh…” said Sarah. She didn’t know what to say.
“I thought, if I let him out for a while, then he would come back for me, I thought he was that kind of person… But… well he did! But he doesn’t think of me that way,” said Nina.
“Did… did Michel went out for a while?” murmured Sarah. Nina leered at her, harshly; Sarah gasped.
“You… you guys are same!” Nina cried out, blushing, and walked out, bashing the door.
“…”
After Nina got out, the door sheepishly opened. Michel peeked inside and saw green-faced Sarah, who was ready for a third round in the ladies’ room.
“Ok, what was that?” asked Michel.
“I don’t know,” said Sarah, sadly. “She seemed to like you, is that a good thing?”
“No… it is not a good thing,” said Michel.
“Huh… maybe I should talk to her later,” said Sarah.
Next day was a bright sunny day. Sarah was full of energy, led early exercise with soldiers. Paul and Michel didn’t run, claiming that they were having a seasick.
After breakfast, Sarah and Paul were reading an outdated magazine, trading with other soldiers with their own. Krieg and Jessica, who were top engineers in Nina’s army, were repairing the cloaking devices and Machina suit.
They turned off the engine for a day in order to catch fishes. However, it was hard for those inexperienced fishermen to capture the right amount that is needed for the trip. Nevertheless they had a good time. They felt the life in Cassandra slowly disappearing, their hearts started healing.
Michel went down to see the torpedo launcher for a check-up, while other people were fishing. After few minutes, he took a boat from the deck, lowered it to the ocean surface. He paddled and went to the middle of the ocean, singing a song. Paul and Sarah looked at him pitifully and waved him off. Michel went to the great distance, Stein frowned at him. There were numerous fishes swimming underneath, gliding inside the water.
With a full swing, Michel threw something afar and he did it two more times; swiftly, he ducked to the bottom of the boat.
BANG! The water scorched from the sea. The soldiers were startled at the sound and looked at the sea to see what is going on. The numerous fishes floated to the surface.
“Baby,” grinned Michel. Sarah, dumbfounded with Paul, looked at the swarm of dead fishes.
The soldiers cheered with joy. They all lowered the boats and started to dive into the water. They picked up the fishes and seasoned it on the deck. They hanged some of them using a string under the sunlight to dry them.
Michel was a hero for the day; they lifted him up and carried him around the ship.
“Dismantled Torpedoes,” smiled Michel, touching fist with Paul and Sarah who were grinning happily. The soldiers made a smoked fish for the night and stored it inside the ship. The ship was moving in a full speed now. They brought the beer out and had a party on the ship.
Late at night, there was a thick mist. The ship slowed down, Stein frowned to see through the mist but wasn’t able to do so; he grunted and went down to the sonar room.
The crews were at sleep; few of them, including Sarah and Nina were still up drinking in the room. They sang a song and laughed. Michel got knocked out and was snoring loudly so the soldiers threw him over a pile of smelly fishes and left him there.
Stein was observing the green dots flickering on the radar screen. His eyes sparkled.
“We have arrived sir,” said the soldier, watching the dot on the radar. Stein glimpsed at the soldier and stared at the radar.
“Turn off the engine; inform the admiral,” said Stein.
At dawn, they were approaching the beaches. The soldiers were getting ready t
o land.
“Waterproof sleeping bag, Woolen socks, Mosquito nets, Stoves,” said Jessica, smiling at the various stuff spread on the deck. She took a slimy peach from the can and ate it. The soft sugary object melted inside her mouth. She glimpsed at people packing the logistics inside their huge backpack. It was still misty but they could see the huge shadows of the island from a distance.
“All ready to go,” said Krieg.
But as they approached, one of the ships exploded. The soldiers were screaming and yelling. Some of them ran up to the dock to see what’s going on. They saw the crushed skin of the ship on the bottom. It was a sea mine.
“Is everyone all right?!” shouted Nina. But before she could say another word, the bullets were fired from the mists. Nina ducked on the floor. The rocket flew and hit the wall of the ship. The ship turned its cannons and fired at the forest; the soldiers lowered the boats and approached the shore. The ship continued to shoot the artillery toward the island. After few rounds of shots, there was a deep silence grasping the wind.
On the shore, they searched the region but the enemies were gone. Nina ordered them to find the corpses or tracks, but they couldn’t find any. They are now all gathered on the shore.
“Is this the closest ground Alvin?” said Nina, looking at the foggy island.
“Yes,” answered Alvin. Nina coughed a little, frowning. “They will come back.”
“Casualties Captain?” said Nina.
“Four dead, three wounded, admiral,” answered Stein. “One of the ships is heavily damaged.”
“… There are many caves nearby; we have to set up the temporary base there. Get the Machina suits ready, we will form a defense line,” said Nina, glimpsing at Alvin. “How far is this lost-and-found?”
“About fifteen days,” muttered Alvin. “It’s a creek; it’s a perfect place to set up a military base.”
“Hope your friend is not rusty on the battle Alvin,” said Nina, looking at Alvin’s anxious face.
“The island is huge…” murmured Nina, looking at the map of the island. “I don’t think we can travel with the Machina suit; we will pick the handsome amount of soldiers and fetch your family. Oh, Captain Stein?”
“Yes, admiral,” replied Stein, turning to Nina.
“Fire the spot one more time,” said Nina.
“Yes admiral,” said Stein; he signaled the ship and they fired the cannons toward the forest.
Nina and crews ran toward the marshy banks and covered the ground. Ship moved toward the caves nearby and hid there. They started setting up the base, wiring booby traps and the barricade around the caves.
Nina gathered few of the ghosts and they formed a rescue squad. Alvin, Stein, James, Sarah, Paul and Michel were among the group. Captain Nottingham, Krieg and Jessica stayed in the temporary base. The squad packed few food and other equipments; they were strapped with cloaking devices. When they were done, Nina stood in the middle.
“Now let’s move quickly,” she said, and moved toward the dark forest.